


Love Lost

by mary_emzee



Series: A White Night Stained with Blood [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:34:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27005140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mary_emzee/pseuds/mary_emzee
Summary: ***Alternate Ending stemming from Chapter Nine: Higanbana***Byakuya lost so much. First the scarlet, now the crimson. He ties up the loose ends left lingering after the tragedy.
Series: A White Night Stained with Blood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970956
Kudos: 1





	Love Lost

**Author's Note:**

> This was the initial ending to A White Night Stained with Blood, though I then wrote chapter 10 of that fic (End of the Dream) because I realized how much problems it would fix, for Renji especially.
> 
> But I love angst when I write it, so enjoy this optional part!

It took him a few days to return to the Seireitei. Byakuya rested in the village briefly to tell the elder that the castle is completely empty and the fate of the people who went to the castle. He had to hide Renji’s heart into his robes, hoping no one with see it.

When he returned home and debriefed with Head Captain Kyoraku, he headed to the Kuchiki Mansion. After burying Renji’s heart in his personal gardens, he got cleaned by the servants and then headed to greet his grandfather.

There was a gentle silence, though Byakuya itched to break it. How would he start off such a topic?

“Grandfather. Forgive me for being forward. But I expect your honesty within this conversation.”

Ginrei poured two cups of green tea for them both.

“Who was Koga Kuchiki?”

Ginrei barely batted an eyebrow as he took a careful sip of his tea, though his eyes had flickered the barest amount. The silence continued to linger, though a gentle breeze started to sway at the trees in the courtyard.

“That is a name I have not heard of in ages,” the former Kuchiki patriarch muttered.

“…He and his zanpakuto spirit were involved in my recent mission. They’ve been hiding.”

Ginrei let out a hmph. “Tell me, then.”

So Byakuya carefully explained what happened, and how Renji had been dragged into their schemes. When Byakuya finished, Ginrei let out a quiet sigh.

“Byakuya. The past is the past. Koga Kuchiki dishonored our family name, and nothing more.”

“…Was I ever going to find out?”

“No. It was not necessary. You hadn’t been born at the time. Your father was only a child when the incident with Koga occurred.”

“I lost my lieutenant because of them. I hadn’t taken a new one on because I had hope Lieutenant Abarai was alive out there.”

“Koga Kuchiki was a cursed existence. His zanpakuto, even more so.”

“Muramasa claims you and the elders tossed his master aside, after all he did.”

Ginrei took another sip of tea. “…Koga had done great things for the clan. Then he descended into madness. We did not have a choice. We had to seal him away.”

“Then his zanpakuto spirit freed him and took him away,” Byakuya concluded.

“We only found out his coffin went missing when Ran went to check on the crypts. By then it was too late to hunt it down, so we decided to hide the incident.”

“…Koga and Muramasa are completely gone, now. Time caught up to them.”

“…Better that than to leave them alive and let them continue to dishonor our family name.”

With nothing more to say, Byakuya bowed to his grandfather and politely excused himself. Heading to his private chambers, he could feel an uncomfortable warmth around his eyes.

Was he about to cry? The last tears he had shed had been when…

When Hisana passed on? Or when the Vandereich tore his body apart and he quietly begged Ichigo Kurosaki to save Soul Society?

Only this time, nothing would ever be the same. He would not see Renji anymore.

Would they be together again, as Renji promised, in their next lives?

Perhaps…

If only.

-

The next morning, no one saw the captain of the sixth division. It was as if he had vanished. Even with people searching high and low, there was no sight of him.

Byakuya Kuchiki was gone forever.


End file.
